Converting your overseas licence?
You already know how to drive. Neelu will get you ready for the New Zealand tests — in English, Malayalam, Tamil or Hindi. She converted her own licence, so she knows exactly what the process feels like.
What NZTA requires
- You can drive on your overseas car licence for 18 months from the day you last arrived in New Zealand. From 1 November 2026 that drops to 12 months — after that you need a NZ licence.
- NZTA treats a short list of countries as “exempt”. If yours is not on that list, converting means passing the NZ theory test and a practical driving test — you book the practical test once the theory test is passed.
- Licences from a few non-exempt countries also need evidence that the licence is valid when you apply. NZTA lists which ones, and Neelu can help you get the paperwork together.
- You apply at a specialist overseas-conversion site — Neelu will point you to the nearest one.
Not sure whether your country is on the exempt list? NZTA publishes it here — or ask Neelu and she’ll check it with you.
Rules checked against the NZTA website on 18 August 2026. Always confirm your own dates and requirements with NZTA — Neelu can help you check.
How conversion lessons work
Your car or Neelu’s · Upper Hutt, Lower Hutt, Wellington and Porirua · charged at the standard lesson rates for your area
Assessment drive
A relaxed first session to see where you are. You can already drive — we just find what NZ does differently.
Lessons on NZ road rules and test routes
Give ways, roundabouts, speed zones, and the habits NZ testing officers look for — practised on real local routes.
Mock test before the real one
A full practice run under test conditions, so the real thing already feels familiar when you get there.
Why students choose Neelu for conversions
Lessons in English, Malayalam, Tamil and Hindi. A female instructor who understands the pressure of starting again in a new country — because she did it too. Patient, structured sessions focused on what NZ testing officers actually look for.